You can make a hard light soft but you can’t make a soft light hard.             Keep this in mind when ordering equipment before your next shoot.  Carry some hard sources that will provide the punch and directionality you might need.  Then save time and money when you transform those lamps into soft lights … Continue reading “STUDENT QUICK TIP #13”

            I had been wanting to make this photograph for twenty-five years.             While shooting the feature Outside Providence in – appropriately enough – Providence, Rhode Island, I used to drive past the corner of Hope and Doyle every day on my way to work.  No matter the conditions, the dark building crowned by the … Continue reading “IT’S ABOUT TIME”

            The Rising of the Moon is a 1957 anthology film directed by John Ford and photographed by Robert Krasker, ASC, BSC.  I saw it awhile back and it didn’t resonate with me, but what did make an impression were the Dutch angles within which so many of the images were framed.  With no data … Continue reading “WHY…?”

            How many times have you watched a film that was beautifully shot yet left you empty as a drum at its conclusion?  Conversely, you’ve no doubt seen many that were photographically sloppy yet have retained their emotional power years after the fact.             Director James Cameron addressed this dichotomy in The Toronto Star, April … Continue reading “THOUGHT FOR AN EARLY SPRING FRIDAY”

The success of foolishness does not imply wisdom. Sounds simple, but really think about it. It will apply to situations you’ll encounter over and over throughout your filmmaking career. This is not to say that they won’t be valuable learning opportunities…

Yes, isn’t it interesting indeed how certain images affect us.  Below are two versions of the same photo (which happens to be the view from my current production office window in Providence, RI).             Though a decent composition with a sort of 70’s vibe, for the most part the color original leaves me as cold … Continue reading “ISN’T IT INTERESTING?”

Angela B. of Dallas, Texas asks: How do you approach pre-production? In short? As often as possible. In almost every case, time spent in prep will pay infinite dividends during production. Much of that is spent getting to know my crew and other collaborators, consulting on the shooting schedule, visiting locations, assembling gear, shooting tests, … Continue reading “Q & A #4…”

            I was on my way into the Opera Nova during the 2015 CamerImage Festival in Bydgoszcz when a random film student stopped me in my tracks.  Wild eyed and lightly spitting on himself, I had no idea why he was so wound up.  After toweling off with the sleeve of his cardigan, his speech … Continue reading “IT’S BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE BEGINNING”

            Now that so many contemporary productions have come to appear so antiseptic, so perfect in every way, they’re starting to feel as if they’ve been leeched of all human contact.  Maybe that’s a result of working in a digital world after having been brought up on film, but I’ve always gotten a kick from … Continue reading “THE HUMANIZING EFFECT”

            I’ve written about gratitude in this space before, but only as it applied in a general sense.  Now, in the midst of prepping a show, I’d like to send profound appreciation to my great friends at Panavision.  Since first setting foot inside one of their facilities back in the day, management and staff have … Continue reading “GRATITUDE…”